Microsoft To Bring Mixed Reality To Xbox One, Project Scorpio In 2018

Microsoft is working to mix the real and virtual worlds. The company announced at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco that it was working to bring mixed reality content to the Xbox One and next-gen Project Scorpio in 2018. Microsoft added that it would reveal more about its MR plans at the Build 2017 conference in May.

Image Source: Microsoft HoloLens / YouTube video (screenshot)

How does Microsoft define mixed reality?

The software giant would reportedly unveil the Xbox Project Scorpio at the E3 event on June 11, and bring it to the market ahead of the holiday shopping season. However, Scorpio gamers would have to wait for another few months to get the mixed reality support. Microsoft HoloLens team leader Alex Kipman told CNet that mixed reality involves taking real-life scanned items and placing them in virtual reality (VR).

For instance, a mixed reality game would allow you to visualize your enemies coming from outside of the TV frame. In contrast, augmented reality (AR) takes virtual items and places them in the real-world environment. Kipman added that VR headsets like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are also capable of mixed reality. Mixed reality content will also be coming to Windows 10 and Microsoft HoloLens.

Windows Mixed Reality headset to start shipping this month

Microsoft, in partnership with Acer, also announced a new Acer Windows Mixed Reality Development Edition headset. The software giant said the headset would start shipping to development partners later this month. Developers can use the high-fidelity headset while creating their mixed reality experiences.

It features two LCDs, audio and microphone support through a 3.5mm jack, and a single cable with USB 3.0 and HDMI ports. The headset also boasts inside-out tracking. Last year, Microsoft had signed agreements with Acer, Lenovo, Asus, HP, and Dell to bring a variety of AR/VR headsets to democratize mixed reality.

Project Scorpio to be unveiled on June 11 at E3

Microsoft claims Project Scorpio to be the most powerful gaming console ever. It would support true 4K gaming and virtual reality (VR) without any performance compromises. The console would feature six teraflops of power, a powerful eight-core processor, and 320Gbps of memory. By comparison, the Xbox One S has only 1.4 teraflops of power.

In a recent Twitter interaction with fans, Xbox chief Phil Spencer revealed that Project Scorpio would run existing games without any issues. He has said in the past that Scorpio would come with a “premium” price tag. That’s not a huge surprise considering its capabilities. This year’s E3 event will be open to the public, which means Xbox fans eagerly waiting for Project Scorpio could see the console in person.